Not only is it Cyber Monday (I think you had to have lived in the early AOL days to find that name hilarious) but… CHANEL has released a new, limited-edition duo called “Nuit Magique.”

First up is the eponymous shade, MAGIQUE. It’s a nice, unexpected choice for a holiday party instead of the typical reds. I’m liking the blues we’ve seen lately! Like denim, they really do go with everything.

But for the real showstopper in the collection, check out COSMIC.

Ladies, ladies, ladies. This is not the same as the Ciel de Nuit of legend, but it’s prettydamnclose. I can’t wait to see how close this is to Ciel de Nuit and, for that matter, the hallowed HTF, Essie Starry Starry Night. I know it won’t be an exact dupe, but it will be interesting to see how close this new shade gets.

1. These pics are usually the closest I’ll come to them because they’re just too expensive for me to feel comfortable with. 27 dollars, whaddya think I am, Chanel, madea money? (Shout out to Kevin and Katie for feeding my addiction these past couple of birthdays, <3 you guys…)

2. This is the brand that gives birth to trends. We must maintain constant vigilance.

Here’s CHANEL’s latest colour: Taboo.

Check out this closeup; looks like we’ve got some beautiful sapphire & ruby microglitter, all suspended in a navy-copper-purplish base:

Oh, I just love that second shot. It’s like a fuchsia-hued galaxy. And may I point you to fellow nail blogger Weekend Ramblings for a set of gorgeous swatches. Check out her post, she was pretty impressed…

If I make it to Nordstrom anytime soon, I’ll paint a little Taboo on a crumpled old receipt or something classy like that — then I can judge this polish freely. Until that happens, I can only speculate based on these photos. But Taboo looks lovely. Spellbinding, even.

My one complaint: why is this coming out in Spring/Summer? Just when we’re wanting to wear brights and pastels… just seems like an odd choice. But that doesn’t mean I’m not drooling for Taboo…

Bonjour! Word of a new limited-edition collection from lesartistes at CHANEL arrived in my inbox today. This time it’s très chinoiserie.

Chinoiserie, a French term, signifying “Chinese-esque,” refers to a recurring theme in European artistic styles since the seventeenth century, which reflect Chinese artistic influences.

It is characterized by the use of fanciful imagery of an imaginary China, by asymmetry in format and whimsical contrasts of scale, and by the attempts to imitate Chinese porcelain and the use of lacquer-like materials and decoration.

This is an eye-catching bright green cabinet painted a la chinoiserie.

“The uniquely modern elegance and glittering beauty of Hong Kong inspire a luminous colour collection. Exclusive creations for eyes and nails are infused with a metallic glow, evoking the lights of the city as they reflect in the waters of the China Sea.” – CHANEL website

This is a toughie. The creamy white, Eastern Light, is pretty basic. Since these bottles are running for $30 each (quelle horror!) I don’t think you guys should feel tempted to drop that kind of cash on something so vanilla. Literally.

But Western Lights shows great promise. It’s easy to pass over first; the shot of the complete collection did little to pique my interest. But when I went to the product page to get a closer look at the bottle, I read the description and got a better look at the shade’s unique shimmer. I’d love to see this live! That said, a bit of an odd choice for springtime, eh? Could have been a great fall / winter release.

So deep is my fear of dropping (read: destroying) my phone that I don’t even entertain the idea of getting a cute case. Sure, there were the days when I had Ye Old Nokia and I jazzed it up with a sparkling rhinestone keypad (for real) and a matte-neon pink case. My mom almost threw it away because she thought it was an old childhood toy I’d unearthed from storage. What I mean is, that’s how coooool it looked.

O HAI. REMEMBER ME? HOW R U?

But these days? A phone accident is a critical issue. I can’t bring myself to take risks on a case that offers beautiful form without well-padded function. And yet…

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO RESIST THESE?

CHANEL Nail Lacquer iPhone Cases. My friend Kelsey saw these on Shefinds.com. Click the pic to see their curated selections of faves.

These cases are just… It’s genius. Absolutely awesome. Please, one of you, one of my brave, devil-may-care readers who says to hell with safety, pleeeease get a Chanel Nail Lacquer Case. Be gutsy, be glam… and then tell me all about it! I’ll live vicariously through your new acquisition.